TYPnovel Chapter 194: Got Played
Chapter 194: Got Played
She heard a few whispers behind her, but she paid them no mind.
The wind in the hallway lifted the wisps of hair from her forehead, revealing a pair of eyes so calm they were almost sharp.
She walked straight to the stairwell, her figure quickly disappearing around the corner.
Qin Haijun was so angry his face and neck were beet red. He flicked his sleeves and stormed off. The moment he got back, he called Cao Daqiang and gave him an earful, demanding to know what the hell had just happened.
He paced back and forth in his dorm room, phone pressed tightly to his ear, his voice growing louder and louder.
He accused Cao Daqiang of tricking him, saying it was supposed to be an easy win, but instead he ended up being publicly humiliated.
The only sound from the other end of the line was Cao Daqiang’s silent breathing, followed by a short response before the call was hung up.
It was then Cao Daqiang realized he’d been played. Seething with rage, he wanted to call Shanshan and curse her out, but after searching through his contacts for ages, he couldn’t find her number at all.
He scrolled through his contact list again and again, even opening his recent call history to check it entry by entry.
He then tried to message her on social media, only to find he’d been blocked.
No matter how he tried, he couldn’t get in touch with her, as if she had never existed in his life.
He squatted by the school gate for two days before he finally saw her. He had barely gotten half a sentence out before Shanshan waved him away in disgust, like shooing a fly.
It was drizzling that morning. He stood by the sidewalk in front of an academic building, holding an umbrella, and saw Shanshan approaching from a distance.
He hurried to meet her, not caring that the rain was splashing onto his pant cuffs.
He had just uttered the four words, "What happened that day," when Shanshan furrowed her brow, flicked her hand outwards, and cut him off completely.
Without even a glance in his direction, she quickened her pace, walking around him and continuing on her way.
The connection he had worked so hard to build was severed just like that. Cao Daqiang was so frustrated he couldn’t even eat dinner.
He sat in a corner of the cafeteria, the food in front of him untouched.
The person at his table told him not to take it so hard, that there were other ways to make up for the loss.
He just stared down at the table, his fingers unconsciously tapping the edge of the plastic tray.
He didn’t say a word all evening. After returning to his dorm, he flopped onto his bed and pulled the covers over his head.
His new girlfriend tried to coax him for a long time, but to no avail.
The girl came in with a glass of warm milk, comforting him in a soft voice, telling him everything would be okay.
She leaned against him, trying to wrap her arms around his, but he subtly pulled away.
She tried to cheer him up by telling him some funny stories, but his expression remained blank, his eyes not even flickering.
In the end, she could only sigh and quietly gather her things to leave.
But he quickly came around. ’Yuan Zhihe has a decent impression of me,’ he thought. ’If I can just warm up this connection, won’t I get back all the benefits I lost?’
Lying in bed, he suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, lost in thought.
The train of thought in his mind gradually became clearer.
He sat up, grabbed his phone, and pulled up his chat history with Yuan Zhihe.
The last time they met, her attitude had been much softer than before; she had even actively replied to his greeting.
’As long as I keep contacting her and increase how often we interact, her feelings for me will naturally grow warmer.’
The more he thought about it, the more excited he got, wishing he could go see her that very instant.
He threw on a jacket and headed out, but then turned back halfway to his closet to pick out a more suitable shirt.
Before leaving, he even made a point of fixing his hair, checking his appearance in the mirror several times to make sure it was presentable.
His pace quickened as he walked, a light of mingled anticipation and calculation in his eyes.
Over the next few days, he found all sorts of excuses to get close to Yuan Zhihe. One moment he was saying he didn’t understand a paper, the next he was asking for advice on course selection. He also dressed with particular care, looking ten years more energetic than usual.
Combined with his act of a deeply devoted man, it only took a few days to get Yuan Zhihe’s head spinning.
He showed up at her academic building on time every day, always holding a cup of her favorite drink.
During group discussions, he would proactively offer to share her workload.
When he spoke, his gaze was focused and his tone was full of concern. Every single detail was meticulously planned.
He no longer brought up the past or showed off about his prior experiences, focusing solely on playing the role of a considerate and reliable upperclassman.
Having never been treated so considerately by such a mature man, Yuan Zhihe soon fell into the gentle trap Cao Daqiang had laid for her.
She began habitually checking her phone for his messages, the corners of her mouth turning up involuntarily whenever she received a reply.
She was willing to postpone plans with her other friends for him and would adjust her own schedule to match his.
His kindness toward her grew more and more obvious, and she was completely unguarded against it.
Although Shanshan wasn’t keeping a close eye on the two of them, she saw Yuan Zhihe every day. From the sparkle in her eyes and the spring in her step, she knew exactly how far things had progressed.
But she never would have imagined that word of this would reach Ling Anxun’s ears, and from a channel she would never have expected.
"What on earth have you been up to these past few days? How did Captain Yuan’s daughter get mixed up with Cao Daqiang?"
Ling Anxun stood in the center of the living room. His voice wasn’t loud, but his tone carried an undeniable pressure.
He stood with his arms crossed, his gaze falling on Shanshan like a knife.
"Dad, how do you know?"
Shanshan blinked, completely baffled.
She subconsciously took half a step back, her hand gripping the back of the sofa to steady herself.
"Oh, right. You wouldn’t know."
Ling Anxun slowly approached, his tone softening slightly. "Your new classmate, Yuan Zhihe—her dad and I are in the same military district. He mentioned to me a few days ago, asking if I knew his daughter was dating someone. Said it was a young teacher."
He paused, staring at Shanshan’s face. "Quite a coincidence, wouldn’t you say? It all adds up."
"Ha, so that’s how it is."
Shanshan gave a dry laugh, trying to play dumb.
She looked down and touched her ear, then reached out to straighten a nonexistent wrinkle on her clothes, looking completely fidgety and uneasy.
But Ling Anxun wasn’t falling for it. He was determined to get to the bottom of the matter.
He stood there without a word, his brow furrowed and a warning in his eyes.
That silent pressure was more suffocating than a direct interrogation.
Pushed into a corner, Shanshan had no choice but to confess.
She bit her lip, glanced up at her father for a second, then quickly lowered her gaze again.
"Well, actually... I just planned on recycling some trash."
Her voice was light, as if she were afraid that speaking too bluntly would provoke a stronger reaction.
"What does that mean? Speak clearly. Don’t talk in riddles."
Ling Anxun frowned, his tone clearly growing heavier.
He took a step forward and grabbed Shanshan’s wrist. The grip wasn’t heavy, but it kept her from pulling away.
Shanshan sighed and started from the beginning.
She told him about running into Cao Daqiang at the school gate that day, including how she had engineered it so he would approach Yuan Zhihe, how she guided their interactions, and even how she created opportunities for them to be alone.
She didn’t leave out a single detail.
She knew she couldn’t hide it, so she decided to confess everything.
"...So that’s what happened. Don’t worry, Dad. I know my limits. I have this situation under complete control. It won’t blow up in my face."
As she finished, she looked up, a new confidence and resolve in her eyes.
"I don’t care what kind of schemes you’re plotting, but you stay out of their business. Do you hear me?"
Ling Anxun released her hand and turned to walk to the window.
Outside, the night was heavy, and the streetlights cast a dim, yellow glow.